Today is a dark day for our city and our nation. We witnessed an attempted coup by a violent mob that sought to overturn the results of our fair, secure Presidential election.

I condemn the shameful, dangerous, and destructive behavior of these seditionists and call on them to cease their violence and leave the District immediately. Each person who participated in these attacks must be held accountable for their actions with the full force of law.

Our democracy is fragile. It depends on decency, integrity, and respect for one another. None of that was present among the crowds that stormed the US Capitol Building or the leaders who fanned the flames of this crisis.

I strongly support the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office. These will be two long, devastating weeks for our nation if we do not act now. I am also calling for the US House Committee on Oversight and Reform to launch a full investigation into today’s acts of sedition and the individuals and agencies that enabled them.

I want to thank DC residents who stayed home today, Ward 4 residents who stepped up to check on their neighbors, and all essential workers and first responders who were out serving our communities at great personal risk.

Today is a painful reminder that DC’s lack of Statehood undermines our ability to protect what President-Elect Joe Biden called the “Citadel of Liberty.” As our country enters a new era of leadership, it must prioritize extending Statehood to the District so we can better safeguard our city and have a voice in the matters that so deeply impact our people.

I am also deeply troubled by the double standard we saw in the federal response to this attack. In June we saw several federal law enforcement agencies crack down on nonviolent Black Lives Matter protesters with tear gas, flash bangs, and rubber bullets at Lafayette Square. Meanwhile, the violent seditionists who rushed the US Capitol today met little resistance even as they forced entry into the most sacred spaces of our democracy. It is a disturbing contrast that we must reckon with.

I will be praying for peace and justice in our communities and in our nation.